If you're getting "Connection to TNC Failed" you aren't ATTACHED to the driver. From the terminal prompt do:
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ATTACH (Port# of VARA FM)
C CALLSIGN
or whatever the sequence of commands you need to connect to the target.
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Edit your mail forwarding scripts accordingly.
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It's an external driver unlike ax.25 packet where netrom is internal/part of the BPQ system, so you can't just do C (Port#) Callsign.
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It stumped me too.
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73 - W7EES
W7EES